“Katie” roars out of gate on first day

Dish Nation bombs in debut

Thanks to prized time slots on ABC-owned and ABC affiliates, Katie blew out her two freshmen rivals who premiered Monday.

In info obtained from B&C, Katie Couric’s new show from Disney-ABC Domestic Television debuted with a 2.8 hosuehold rating and an 8 household share – the highest rated-debut for a show since Rachael Ray’s debut (September 18, 2006), which had an identical 2.8/8 – and drew the large audience for the debut of a daytime talker since Dr. Phil (September 16, 2002.) In the process, she easily blew away the debuts of Jeff Probst and the return of Ricki Lake.

Airing on more than 100 ABC affiliates in early fringe, Katie was up 22 percent from year-ago time period slot (comprised of different programming) and up 12 percent from its lead-in. In the key female 25-54 demo, Katie was up 14 percent.

Katie won its 3 p.m. time period in New York and Los Angeles. In Chicago, Katie also airs at 3 p.m. on WLS-TV, marking the first time a syndicated talk show has ever aired in the time period on the station.

Even though Katie airs primarily on ABC stations, Couric’s show managed to snare clearances on NBC affiliates in a few markets (Seattle, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Nashville, and Memphis, among others.) In St. Louis, CBS affiliate KMOV airs the show at 10 a.m., on a one-day delay.

Meanwhile, the debut of The Jeff Probst Show from CBS Television Distribution averaged a 1.0/3, down 9 percent from year-ago time period and down 29 percent from its lead-in. On the upside however, Probst was up 40 percent in the key female 25-54 demo. Probst is cleared on NBC-owned stations in the top markets, but in Chicago airs on CBS-owned WBBM-TV at 2 p.m. CBS Television Distribution and WBBM are both owned by CBS Corp.

Twentieth Television’s Ricki Lake had a much tougher go of it – her return after an eight-year absence netted only a 0.6/2, down 40 percent from its year-ago time period and down a third from its lead-in.

Even worse, in its target female 25-54 demo – the program averaged only a 0.3/2, down 25 percent from a year ago time period rating/share.

In Chicago, Lake faces competition from talk shows on four other stations – Dr. Phil (which was preempted here Monday due to tennis), Ellen, Maury, and of course Katie, not to mention popular shot-in-Chicago court show Judge Mathis. In New York, where she airs at 4 p.m., Lake’s show isn’t seen in 40 percent of the market because the station she’s on is involved in a retrans dispute with a local MSO.

Last week, Steve Harvey from NBCUniversal Television Distribution got off to a good start with a 1.5/4, up 50 percent from September 2011 time periods. Harvey was up a whopping 100 percent in the key female 25-54 demo from a year ago. Given these results, look for Harvey to stick around for awhile.

The fifth and final new talk show to debut is Trisha Goddard’s, which premieres next Monday.

Another syndicated show from Twentieth Television debuted on Monday: new magazine strip Dish Nation, which airs primarily on Fox-owned stations and affiliates, premiered with a 0.7/2, down 22 percent from year-ago time period (replacing TMZ and sitcom reruns in many markets) and down 30 percent from its lead-in, according to TVNewscheck. Here in Chicago, Dish averaged a 0.8/2 at 5:30 p.m., down form its TMZ lead-in (1.2/3). The 10:30 p.m. airing – which replaced a third run of The Simpsons – averaged only a 0.7/1.

Even though ratings were less-than-stellar, Dish did improve time period rating/share in certain demos in Philadelphia and Boston. In Dallas, the series placed second at 11:30 p.m.

Dish features morning personalities in five markets talking about celebrity gossip and entertainment news. Yours truly pointed out several months ago this is one of the most lamest concepts I’ve ever heard of. After watching Monday night’s premiere -yours truly’s thoughts were verified – Dish Nation has got to be one of the most stupidest and repulsive  shows I’ve ever seen and it’s a quick trip to the you know what. Now you have a front row seat every night to see why radio is dying.

So when do those Simpsons reruns return?